A wide angle lens has a short focal length that provides a wide view. On a digital camera, it can range generally from 10 mm to 35 mm. The standard or normal view lens of 50mm translates to the 35 mm on the digital camera. A prime lens is a fixed focal length, such as 35 mm, and a zoom allows for variable lengths. Photographers hold strong opinions on these things; some despite zoom lenses and others swear by them. Some will urge the use of the wide angle lens and others will warn you of all the mistakes if you don’t properly use them. As with my other blogs, I walk the trails alone. I will run a search on my inquiry, such as pros and cons of the wide angle lens or the fixed/prime debate, and then trust my eye. Ultimately, you can judge whether your final image meets your standards and those whom you feel you need to satisfy.
I like using the wide angle lens, and spent time working with the Nikkor 1-20mm f/4.5-5.6 G lens. I was told originally that unless I was using it for landscape, I would not find it useful. However, while it certainly has its uses in landscape, it is a vital component of the urban photographer’s kit.
In Philadelphia’s Locust Street, I found a pair of photogenic doors. I did not want to angle them but even with at 20 mm I could not get them both in at frontal view without having a lamppost between them. Here is that image from across the street, not cropped, but processed in Lightroom with basic adjustments and with perspective straightening. If I wanted to use this image, I felt I would want the full lamppost to at least make that part of it rather than just a cut-off gray pole:
I like using the wide angle lens, and spent time working with the Nikkor 1-20mm f/4.5-5.6 G lens. I was told originally that unless I was using it for landscape, I would not find it useful. However, while it certainly has its uses in landscape, it is a vital component of the urban photographer’s kit.
In Philadelphia’s Locust Street, I found a pair of photogenic doors. I did not want to angle them but even with at 20 mm I could not get them both in at frontal view without having a lamppost between them. Here is that image from across the street, not cropped, but processed in Lightroom with basic adjustments and with perspective straightening. If I wanted to use this image, I felt I would want the full lamppost to at least make that part of it rather than just a cut-off gray pole:
Crossing the street and standing with the lamppost to my back, even if I’d used my preferred lens of choice, the Sigma 18-250 mm, I could not get both doors in the photo. Using the Nikkor 10-20 at 20 mm, I get this (again, with basic adjustments and straightening):
At 10 mm, I can get what I wanted originally—the two doors.
The lesson is that with proper control and a mind to the software processing tools, the wide angle, particularly at 10 mm, is a valuable lens for capturing details in the confines of a city and on narrow streets. I cropped to minimize what remained of slight bulging of the frame, although it is not always the camera but instead the settling of the house that can affect the shape and lines. Also, to the extent some may still find slight distortion, I’d also note that distortion is not always bad, nor are those converging verticals that can lend dramatic effect. My focus and intent was to depict the contrast and complementary nature of these old doorways. There are a lot of articles on the dos and don’ts of wide angle use. Read them, think about them, but most importantly, consider what it is you want to accomplish. Always at the end of the day, it is your eye that matters.